


Nightmares

by shiny_glor_chan



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Community: mako_reactor, Flashbacks, Multi, Zack Fair Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-24
Updated: 2007-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_glor_chan/pseuds/shiny_glor_chan
Summary: Visions of Sephiroth continue to plague Zack’s dreams...
Relationships: Zack Fair & Sephiroth, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 4
Collections: Square Enix Fandoms





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> A few things picked up from Before Crisis but nothing really spoilerish for the storyline of that game. Using bits of the script again.

_I couldn’t stop him..._ Zack opened his eyes to see himself back in Nibelheim inn, five years ago.

“He’s gone...” Zack muttered as he headed out of the inn; somehow, he knew instinctively where Sephiroth would be.

Once in his destination, he found a secret passage way and headed down the rickety spiral wooden planks leading to the basement. He heard a laugh and headed towards it, knowing it was Sephiroth’s laugh, although it sounded maniac, not the same laugh he had been able elicit from the man before.

“Ha, ha, ha...” Sephiroth laughed then heard Zack enter. “Who is it!?” he questioned angrily, sitting at the desk surrounded by scattered piles of books and shelves askew. “Hmph... Traitor.”

“Traitor?” Zack questioned incredulously. _Seph, what’s happened to you...?_

“You ignorant traitor. I’ll tell you,” Sephiroth spat out, turning away from Zack, towards a wall. “This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on... At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness.” Sephiroth turned to Zack.

“But, those that disliked the journey appeared. Those who stopped their migrations built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra and the planet had made without giving one whit in return!” Sephiroth paused, looking down.

“Those are your ancestors.”

“Sephiroth...” Zack’s plea went unheard by Sephiroth. _Are you...losing your mind?_

“Long ago, disaster struck this planet.” He looked up and paced to another side of the room, facing yet another wall. “Your ancestors escaped... They survived because they hid. The Planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to increase.

“Now all that’s left of the Cetra is in these reports,” Sephiroth looked up at Zack and motioned to the reports surrounding him.

“What does that have to do with you?” Zack asked. _You’re human, I know you are..._

“Don't you get it?” he asked, standing next to Zack but facing away, towards the hallway. “An Ancient named Jenova was found in the geological stratum of 2000 years ago. The Jenova Project.”

Sephiroth puts his face in his hands. “The Jenova Project wanted to produce people with the powers of the Ancients..... no, the Cetra,” He looked up and straightened his posture.

“...I am the one that was produced,” Sephiroth stated and Zack turned to face him although Sephiroth did not face him. _...no. It’s not true!_

“Pr... Produced!?” Zack stuttered. _No, you’re human, Seph, I swear you are..._

“Yes. Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced me,” Sephiroth stated as he walked down the hallway, stopping at the end, not moving at all.

“How... how did he...?” Zack ran after Sephiroth then stopped. “Se... Sephiroth?” _Don’t you trust me anymore...? We_ are _best friends!_

“Out of my way. I’m going to see my mother,” He determinedly walked out of the library. Zack followed him out of mansion.

 _Sephiroth..._ He thought to himself as he made his way to Cloud’s village, set ablaze by his idol and Zack’s best friend. Zack’s eyes widened as he ran to help the townspeople. _Sephiroth... I’ve lost him to insanity..._

* * *

Zack eyes shot open from his less than peaceful slumber, his breathing labored. He looked around find himself in Sector 5 church, with Aeris sleeping to his left and Cloud sleeping to his right, his arms around both. He quietly slipped his arms away from them and made his way to the rafters of the church.

 _I can’t be near them right now, not like this..._ He thought to himself as he wiped away the cold sweat from his nightmares. He settled himself on one of the rafters above Aeris and Cloud, who had in his absence snuggled close together, missing his warmth.

Zack ran his hands over his face. _It’s been five years, why am I dreaming of him_ now? _He’s dead but why is it I still feel his presence... Is he still alive, somewhere out there?_ Zack thought to himself as he tried to make himself more comfortable, he noticed something in his pocket.

“Eh?” he questioned and took out some crumpled papers and a case of disks. “Oh yeah... I took these from the lab. Gotta figure out what’s on ‘em...” _Guess we need to find a computer but where would I find a computer other then at Shrina Inc.?_

“Zack? Zack!” Cloud’s panicked voice sounded out from below, stirring Aeris and catching Zack’s attention.

“Up here, kid,” Zack called down, to calm the panicked blond.

Cloud looked up as Aeris rubbed the last bits of sleep from her eyes. “What are you doing up _there_?” Cloud asked, not worried anymore but instead annoyed.

“Couldn’t sleep. You know me, can’t stay in one place for very long,” Zack quipped as he stuffed the lab papers and disks back in his pockets and proceeded to jump down from the rafters in one leap.

Zack landed right in front of Cloud, startling him into falling back. Cloud glared from his place on the ground as Aeris giggled as she got up herself and helped Cloud up as well. “Sleep well?” Zack asked casually.

Cloud’s face scrunched up. “Yeah, but apparently you didn’t,” Cloud paused. “Nightmares?”

“It’s no big deal, no worries!” Zack exclaimed as he ruffled Cloud’s hair, although Zack’s attempt at levity did not provide Cloud with much reassurance.

“So what are you hiding in your pockets, Zack?” Aeris stepped in before Cloud could start his next sentence.

“Well...” Zack trailed off. “Before I dragged Cloud out of that lab in Nibelheim, I had grabbed some papers and disks...”

“What’s on them?” Aeris questioned as Zack took out the papers and silently passed them to Cloud.

“...about the experiments...” Cloud trailed. “Us... Zack and I...”

“Oh,” Aeris breathed out then changed the subject with a smile. “Well, I guess we’ll need to find a computer, hm?”

“Where would we find a computer other than with the Shinra?” Cloud questioned.

“Well, I’ve heard rumors about a group called AVALANCHE that has reemerged to fight Shinra. Perhaps they have a computer system?” Aeris said and Zack’s face lit up.

“All right! Let’s find these AVALANCHE people!” Zack exclaimed. Cloud gave him a skeptical look.

“If they’re against Shinra, I doubt their whereabouts are really common knowledge,” Cloud stated.

Zack pulled a face. “Eh...” he trailed off.

“I’ve heard they’re stationed in Sector 7. That’s a good place to start as any, right?” Aeris said with a smile.

* * *

“We’ll never find ‘em!” Zack exclaimed dramatically as he collapsed on the steps of a bar. “We searched all of Sector 7 too!”

“Not all...” Aeris said and Zack followed her eyes to the sign on the building behind him.

“Seventh Heaven,” Cloud read the name of the bar. “Think they’d station themselves in a bar?”

“Seems as good a place as any!” Zack jumped up. “And if it’s not it, we can get some drinks to drown our sorrows!”

Zack bounded for the door and Cloud shook his head in disapproval. Once the door shut behind Zack, Aeris, and Cloud heard yelp and ran into see a startled Zack and an even more startled barmaid. “Tifa!” Cloud exclaimed.

“Cloud!” Tifa ran over to Cloud and pulled him into a hug, “You’re all right! I didn’t know what happened and...” Cloud looked over Tifa’s shoulder to see Zack grinning like a maniac giving him a thumbs up, “I thought you and Zack had died...”

“No, we’re fine,” Cloud said as Tifa pulled away from the hug and hit him in the arm, “Ow! What was that for?”

“You said you were fine! So where have you been for five years?” she asked, her hand on her hips with a look that made Cloud feel like he was standing in front of his mother and getting reprimanded for not cleaning his room.

“Eh...” Cloud backed up from Tifa.

“I’ll explain for Spiky,” Zack piped up, making Tifa’s glare shift to Zack. “Well, wow you weren’t this scary back in Nibelheim. Aeris!”

Zack hid behind her and Aeris sighed. “Boys,” she muttered. She took in a breath and walked up to Tifa. “I’m sorry, we weren’t properly introduced. My name is Aeris Gainsborough.”

Aeris offered her hand to Tifa took into a handshake. “I’m Tifa Lockhart.”

“Well, since the boys seem so intimidated by you,” She looked over to Zack and he shrugged while Cloud cringed, she then faced Tifa again, “I’ll tell you where they’ve been. After Nibelheim, Shinra took them captive in their laboratories. They had been held captive for the past five years. Zack barely escaped with his life from the gunshot wounds that Shinra gave him and Cloud had severe mako poisoning. They are both lucky to be alive. If they hadn’t gotten to me in time, I don’t know what would have happened...”

Tifa looked pensive for a moment before she pulled both Cloud and Zack into fierce hug. Cloud’s head end up dangerously close Tifa’s breasts and Zack’s head was on her shoulder. Zack grinned at Aeris who covered a giggle with a hand and a well placed cough.

Tifa pulled away and Cloud was as red a as a tomato. Zack could not hold in his laughter anymore. Cloud looked indignant and hit Zack upside the head for laughing. Aeris smiled at the scene while Tifa thought of something.

“You guys must have came in here for some reason, and since I doubt you knew I was here, why did you come?” Tifa asked, truly curious of the answer.

“We came to find AVALANCHE!” Zack exclaimed.

Cloud shook his head. “Real discreet, Zack. I hope no one ever trusted you with stealth missions,” Cloud muttered.

Zack ignored the comment and waited for Tifa’s answer. “Why?” she asked cautiously.

“We were hoping AVALANCHE would have a computer system so we can look at,” Zack pulled out the disks from Shinra, “these.”

Tifa took a disk and looked it over. “Are these from Shinra?” Zack nodded. “Well, I don’t think Barret’ll mind if I let you use the computer for this. Maybe there’ll be some information we can use against Shinra?”

Zack nodded enthusiastically as he watched Tifa press buttons on a pinball machine.


End file.
